Rocker takes Trump committee to court over rally song

Neil Young is seeking $10 million in damages from a fundraising committee supporting US President Donald Trump over the alleged unauthorised use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a political rally.

The Canadian-American musician alleges that the Trump 47 Committee infringed copyright by playing his 1989 song before Trump took the stage at a Republican midterm campaign event in Youngstown, Ohio, on 12 October.

The complaint was filed on Monday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, where the committee is based.

Young (80) brought the case through his company, Silver Fiddle Music, which alleges that the song was played without the required licence or his permission.

The suit names Trump 47 Committee Inc as defendant, along with five unnamed parties whom Young believes are also liable. Trump himself is not named as an individual defendant. The committee is a joint fundraising vehicle set up with the Republican National Committee.

The complaint describes the song as the committee’s walk-up music for Trump. Young’s lawyers, Robert Besser and Scott Simmons, argue that the song is a pointed critique of hollow political rhetoric and of the hardship faced by the poor and homeless, and that it stands in opposition to what Trump represents.

The complaint also alleges that Trump knew he needed a licence and that Young would not grant one, and that repeated use of his music at rallies has damaged his reputation by implying that he supports Trump’s political agenda.

The dispute is a long-running one. Young first objected in 2015, when the song was used at Trump’s presidential campaign announcement, and he objected again when it was played in 2018.

In 2020 he sued Donald J Trump for President Inc over the use of the same song and “Devil’s Sidewalk”. The new complaint says that campaign asserted no defence, settled shortly after being served, and promised never to use “Rockin’ in the Free World” again without a licence and Young’s permission. The latest filing contends that the 2020 settlement bars such use.

Young posted about the case on his website on Tuesday, thanking Trump for attending many of his concerts in the 1980s and 1990s but stopping short of allowing him to use his music.

Requests for comment have been referred to the Republican National Committee, but neither the committee, the White House or the RNC have responded. The allegations remain subject to court proceedings.

Sources: Bloomberg Law, 26 October; BBC, republished by MyJoyOnline, 28 October; Rolling Stone; Billboard; Global News; CNBC; ABA Journal.